Aces High: The Zodiac Senshi
by mentolicious
Summary: Long ago, there existed a group of Senshi sworn to uphold the honor of the twelve celestial deities: The Zodiac Senshi. As a new world order threatens Earth's very way of life, its fate rests in their hands. CURRENTLY UNDERGOING REVISION.
1. Prologue

[Disclaimer: Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon and all its characters are property of Naoko Takeuchi, not me. However, the Zodiac Senshi are of my creation within the world of Bishoujo Senshi Sailormoon.

**Prologue**

_From far away, the soldiers' war of old,  
A realm of silver, a kingdom of gold.  
Watched over by nine guardians,  
Whose observance did not fail,  
This vast expanse of universe  
Does dare tell yet another tale.  
A story of twelve, hand-picked by fate,  
A new legend does their power create._

_Through time and time alone  
Will the scribe of history tend,  
The seeds of revolution, when sown,  
Will grow from life's start 'till beyond life's end._

_  
The lion, which so fiercely roars,  
The phoenix, which so passionately soars.  
The archer, whose arrows pierce the sky,  
The new life whose spring shall never dry.  
_

_The maiden, perfection is that she wears,  
The crab, empathy is that which she bares.  
The bull, whose touch to which nature lends,  
The divine judgment at which an era ends._

_  
The fish, who swim to left and right,  
The goat, with the earth who serves as her might.  
The twins, whose wits have trumped all,  
The will in which continuity calls._

_  
Each imbued with their own power,  
Do but uphold the peace,  
And while the darkness may grow,  
The light within it sleeps._

So the prophecy read, at least as Shani remembered it. _The life, the judgment, and the will..._ She thought, curled in a fetal position within her chamber. The tiny pixie, no larger than one's hand from heel to the tip of the middle finger, floated in a sort of suspension, perfectly centered within the clear, glassy lotus-shaped containment. Her hair floated behind her, gently curled at the ends so that it seemed to twist like certain kinds of bread, a gleaming deep magenta, which extra emphasis on the purple within the color. Her clothing consisted of a heavily embroidered bodice which reached to the end of her ribcage, was almost backless, and tied together with two interlacing ribbons, in a deep crimson color, reminiscent of certain kinds of wine. She wore a separate skirt in the same color, with silver embroidery on the hem in the patterns of the twelve signs of the zodiac: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Saggitarius, Capricorn, Aquarius, and Pisces. Wrapped around her arms was a translucent sash in a slightly lighter shade of the red that she wore, with small tassels of silver sewn onto the ends and the same patterning on her hem on the sash. A small tinkling of intricate ornaments on her head could be heard as her deep emerald eyes fluttered open, as she then rubbed them gently with the backs of her hands, whose arms were adorned with bangles of silver and gold. _How long have I been dormant?_ She wondered, as she pressed her hands against the glassy barrier separating her from the outside world, a pair of translucent rose pink wings fluttering open as if to free themselves for the first time in many a year. _Where am I?_ Gazing upwards, a modern-day bedroom greeted her, the walls painted a certain off-white. Turning to the right, she saw pictures of a hazel-eyed girl with hair that reminded her of flames. _Flames...could it be?_

"I'm home!" The call came from the other side of the door...


	2. Emergence

**Chapter One**

[Disclaimer: I do not own Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon or any of its characters, as they are property of Naoko Takeuchi. The Zodiac Senshi and their nemeses, however, are of my creation within the world of the series and I will kick you very, very hard in places you do not want to be kicked if you attempt to steal any of them.

**Important Notice:** To avoid concern later on, _yes_, I have read the Sailormoon Millenia trilogy by Janelle/"MiakaShi". _No_, I do not intend to steal or copy her work in any way. In fact, I had the idea of the Zodiac Senshi for quite some time before I had found her work, which, in my opinion, is a truly wonderful piece of literature. However, I do intend to use my own perceptions of the Zodiac Senshi, though there may be some similarities that can't really be avoided [Unfortunately, one such being Sagittarius having a bow and arrow. I mean, what else could I give her? The body of a centaur? No lightning either, because that's Jupiter's, because even if this is an Alternate Universe fan fiction, that would just be lame. However, I have taken certain approaches with other Senshi that will be revealed later on as the story progresses. In short, I'm not a copycat or trying to live up to the Millenia trilogy, and I encourage you all to just enjoy reading Aces High in its fledgling glory, m'dears. -Juliet

----------------------------

"I'm home!" An alto girl's voice rang, coming as if from the dream of a time long past to the pixie. If Shani had not been so deeply rooted within her reality, she would not have realized that said voice called out from beyond the door of the room where the 's containment was situated. _Oh, no! _She realized that her containment, considering her size, was more than likely rather conspicuous to humans, and this was horrible timing, seeing as she had just awakened from sort of strange forced sleep. Her translucent wings fluttered behind her as she floated within the main containment, almost pacing. _Maybe if I can pose while she's looking, I can look like an ornament._ Shani thought before standing in a pose on the ball of her right foot, her left leg bent at the knee as if she were leaping from the ground, with her hands clasped in front of her while she looked up towards the ceiling with a forced dreamlike expression.

The flame-haired girl hummed a lilting waltz tune as she opened the door and set down her bookbag on the desk which Shani's containment lay on, before proceeding to free her burnt sienna hair from the deep crimson ribbon which confined it to a ponytail as her hair fell to the small of her back, a crease of sorts visible in her hair from the ribbon holding it steady, but was eclipsed by the natural waviness of the girl's hair, which only furthered the image of flames in Shani's mind. Her face was strong, with a pronounced jawline and cheekbones, eyes just wider than they were tall, a strange sort of glimmering assertion of identity residing within those hazel orbs. After changing from the Juuban-Cho High School uniform into a comfortable tee shirt and baggy pajama bottoms, she sat down to work on her homework for the night. The new "ornament" on her desk caught her eye as she reached out to hold it gingerly in her hands and bring it closer to examine it. "That's odd." She said softly, "I don't recall seeing this before."

And then the pixie sneezed.

Her elegant stance broken, Shani's eyes went wide with the realization that she had uncovered her own ruse, and attempted to put on the cutest face possible. "Hi! I am Shani Akiva, guardian of the Zodiac Senshi and faithful attendant to Lady Anaurel de Nayeli. And you are?" Hazel eyes fell on emerald as the girl stared at the pixie for what seemed to be an eternity. "I'm Yuuki Katakeru, and not believing this. I must be having a migraine or something..." Eyebrow raised, Yuuki looked through her desk for presumably pain relief medication. Shani faltered as she tried to think of some way to get this girl to accept that she was standing right here. "Hey, wait a minute. You saw me?" The girl looked back up at Shani. "What about it?" The pixie put her arms out to her sides and closed her eyes as a soft white light began to glow in front of her containment chamber. Yuuki straightened in her chair in awe as the light floated towards her.

Shani reopened her eyes and clapped her hands together as the light split into two parts, the larger of the two absorbing itself into the girl's body, just below her collarbone. "What are you-" Shani snapped open her eyes to make direct contact with Yuuki's hazel for the second time. "I'm not finished." She said calmly, as the smaller portion of the light fashioned itself into the shape of a wand not too much taller than the pixie, a simple cherry-red rod covered at the bottom by a small silver flame, and topped with a silver-lined crimson star, the piece affixing the star to the wand also forged in silver. A silver circle placed in the middle of the star, a plateau of sorts where the star seemed to rise up, bore an engraving in the same crimson of the star: The symbol of Aries. The symbol glowed on the wand, as it also appeared on Yuuki's forehead. Shani then put her arms in a more relaxed position, her hands positioned so that her fingertips touched and her hands pointed outwards, level with her upper abdomen. "My dear, the stars chose you. It is merely chance that we have met. How does your power suit you, Lady Aries?" Yuuki closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, the symbol of Aries still flaring on her forehead. She found herself surrounded by a neverending room of white, as if self-lit. The floor was smooth, and cool to the touch of her feet as she stepped forward.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" Yuuki turned to see a woman, dressed simply in what looked to be a white linen cloth dress, reminiscent of the togas worn in ancient Rome, but much reaching past her knees and supported by both shoulders. In her right hand was a staff, the main body pale blue until it split into four different tendrils which wrapped around each other to form a sort of beautiful mesh and met at one point, a floating star sapphire crystal shimmering from within the casing. The woman's hair was silver, a titanium river flowing down to her knees, and shimmering as if diamonds had been woven in between strands of her hair. Her bare feet were adorned with but one anklet bearing a far smaller star sapphire on her left ankle, whereas her right bore the shimmering rainbow mark of Aquarius. "Who...are you?" Yuuki queried, her voice not as strong as its usual tone of conviction. "You must be Lady Aries." The woman bowed to Yuuki as the newly christened Lady Aries stared in wonder. "Where am I?" Yuuki asked the other, still mystified as to her surroundings. The woman gave a gentle, understanding smile. "Your core." Her voice was clear, like a bell, and sincere to the heart. Yuuki raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "My...core?" The woman nodded. "The very center of your being, Lady Aries. All Senshi unlock theirs as soon as they are awakened to their powers, and they evolve as the Senshi does." She stretched out her left arm in a flourish as if to put the empty core on exhibit. "Okay..." Yuuki took a deep breath out as the Core suddenly disappeared and her eyes opened to the wand floating in front of her.

"Well?" Shani looked at her with her beaming, round face. "Go on, take it." She urged on Yuuki, who complied. The wand felt warm to the touch, and bore a strange ethereal glow around the sign of Aries at Yuuki's touch. The girl suddenly felt as if an electric jolt had passed through her body, as she could feel words coming to her mouth, words that she had never been able to comprehend until now:

**"Aries Celestial Power, Make-Up!" **

All of a sudden, Yuuki felt herself being encircled by flames, though they caressed her skin instead of scorching it, and as they left her skin, they left a white bodysuit with sleeves ending at two shoulder protectors and a third cherry-tinted translucent layer, a deep crimson sailor-style collar, a pleated skirt of the same color that went to an inch above her knees with another of a lighter shade below it to go to her knees, and a light cherry bow affixed to the end of the collar by a silver star engraved with the sign of Aries in the crimson of the wand and collar. A bow on the back of her suit in the same color as the one on the had the ribbon extend to her calves, and the flames around her legs melted away to reveal crimson sandals with ribbons lacing up her legs to just below her knees in the style of the Romans. The same flames then returned to adorn her hands with gloves extending to her elbows with three protectors smaller than those on her shoulders, but in cherry red. A red ribbon choker with the sign of Aries forged in silver hanging as a charm from it appeared on her neck, and a silver tiara appeared on her forehead with a circular ruby which shone for just a moment before she turned to pose with her left hand on her hip and the other positioned below the left side with her hand flat, thumb tucked in, and palm facing outwards.

The moment soon came to pass as Yuuki, now Sailor Aries, examined her outfit, the sheer amounts of red in the outfit quite to her liking, the gloves on her hands feeling natural to her touch, not like gloves you could buy from the store that either wouldn't fit correctly or just felt...fake. These felt as if she weren't wearing gloves at all and were specifically fitted to her skin, the elbow protectors still allowing for flexible movement with her arms, something she found to be very comforting. The ribbons on her sandals were tight enough to stay on, she found, and wouldn't just suddenly untie themselves or fall off of her legs. The skirt's length was also something not too revealing, and the bodysuit did offer excellent support and acted like a sort of a built-in sports bra, something that was clearly going to be needed, if she really did have power and was more than likely going to use this in some sort of physical action.

Shani let out a delighted squeal. "Lady Aries, you look _magnificent_!" She cried, having released herself from the containment chamber while Yuuki had been inside her core, now flitting around Yuuki with her translucent rose-pink wings while talking excitedly enough that Yuuki found her incomprehensible at a few points. "...Oh, yes, and I forgot one thing." Shani clapped her hands together as a silver pendant with an oval ruby charm engraved with the symbol of Aries manifested itself in front of Yuuki. "You can use this to contact me or see the location of wayward Akuma."

"Akuma? As in devils?" Yuuki raised an eyebrow. Transforming out of pajamas into this heavily modified version of her school uniform with the use of magical flames was one thing -- but hunting down demons was not exactly what she had in mind with her powers. "Elaborate, please?"

Shani moved to a sitting position in the air. "Well, it's quite simple. Akuma are a sort of demon that survive on the souls of the dead. However, for some reason or another, they have been appearing in your world, the world of the living, as it seems. And once they set their sights on where they want to attack, they will start to take the souls of the living for themselves."

"And you're saying that I'm supposed to go and beat the tar out of this thing."

"Precisely. You never were a dull-"

"Let's go, already!" Yuuki burst out of her room and down the stairs as her mother yelled, "Yuuki, where are you going?" She kept running with a yell over her shoulder of, "Chomei's!" before turning at the curb. The ruby necklace had transformed into a palm-sized circular radar which displayed the outlines of buildings in the city, with a small crimson dot labeled in Japanese as "akuma" in a green common to technology. After a few blocks, Yuuki found herself nearing her destination, and when she stopped as the radar's rapid chirps became one long beep, she found herself making one of the weirdest faces that she had ever made in her life.

The sign read "Tenshi Toy Store".

"A _toy store_?" The newly awakened Senshi looked over at her guardian pixie with a somewhat embarassed and dumbfounded expression crossing her features.

"Hey, I didn't get to choose." Shani shrugged, before floating over to the doorknob and undoing the lock, the door swinging open for Yuuki.

"I'm this deep in already, there's no use going back." Yuuki sighed and shook out the tense feeling in her arms before walking through the door, fully apprehensive of her surroundings.

----------------------------

To the armor-clad man, darkness was beautiful to begin with. So free, so endless...and it came so close to the one thing he knew in his heart was more beautiful than anything that could ever be created. His muted golden eyes shone through the dim lighting and ebony bangs that swept across his face. The armor which kept him so safe was made up of a breastplate embossed with the design of two dragons entwined across it, the shoulder pauldins designed similarly, with one dragon on each. The epaulets that held his cape in place were constructed of a strange black metal with silvery veins, and set into them were two large topaz gems. The aforementioned cape seemed to billow out behind him like storm clouds taking their place, as if they were frightened to disobey him in any way. Of course, with his intricately working mind and the numerous technologies he had created, he knew he could make this darkness better. Far more powerful. _Enough to take her back..._ He thought with a scowl, his hand moving to hold something on a silver chain of a necklace around his neck that hung just below his collarbone, the gauntlets armoring his arms and hands barely making any sound as the action took place.

"You're still being all sappy over her?" A high-pitched and snivelling voice sounded from behind the man as he let go of the object and turned to face its creator. The one standing there was a woman, sardonyx-eyed, maroon-haired, and scantily clad in but a deep crimson leather-esque pair of hot pants and a black halter top that showed off her midriff, and her so-called "washboard" abdominal muscles. Her legs and feet were adorned in black stiletto-heeled thigh-high boots made of the same material as her hot pants "Give up already. You think a conniving, deceptive, lofty little bitch like her could _really_ make you happy?" She sneered, stepping closer to the man so that there were just centimeters of space between them, their mouths almost dangerously close to making contact. "Whereas I...am so much stronger...so much smarter...so much more...beautiful..."

The man suddenly pushed her away, leaving over a meter's worth of distance between them. "Do not dare slander her name in such a way." He spoke in a baritone voice, a smooth and suave demeanor that, in situations other than this, would be considered chocolate for the ears. His anger had infiltrated his tone, however, so that it gave the undercurrent meaning of "shut up" without having to say it along with everything else. "She is-"

"Everything to you, the only reason you're living, yeah, I've heard it all, just cut the crap." The woman rolled her eyes for a moment, before she found herself being held by her neck up against the corridor's cold stone wall. The man's eyes flashed dangerously, his gaze ripping straight through her as gold locked on sardonyx. "Do..._not_...speak of her in such a manner. I will decapitate you myself and display your head as a trophy, while leaving your soul to the Akuma. Is that clear?" The woman let out a choking sound in an attempt to breathe and give an affirmative as he roughly threw her to the ground before storming off, leaving her to gasp for air and hold her neck in pain. "Bastard." She muttered, before collecting herself off of the floor. _You __**will **__forget that damned little harlot, and you will come to me, my sweet..._

-End Chapter 1-

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Please leave constructive criticism as well as comments for me to build on! Suggestions for the next chapter are also appreciated and very much encouraged. :)


	3. Restrospect

**Aces High - Chapter 2**

Gazing outside of her bedroom window towards the street which she lived on, Chomei Eichi was purposely distracting herself from work with her very own mind, and an incredible video game soundtrack. Just losing herself in thought and retracing her steps through her mind was a hobby of its own, though today was different. The events of the day were brushed away from her mind as she began to ponder other things in life. As a student, she was purposely making herself face more and more challenging courses. And while most of her classes during this year were Honors and two were Advanced Placement, the attention that she got from her grades, rather than her personality or looks, was rather overwhelming. Most people would rather talk to her for the sake of getting her to do their homework for them, instead of making real conversation or complimenting her on something other than her intelligence. Her laptop was closed so that she would not have to bother with fellow students chasing her through e-mail and instant messaging services for the sake of answers to homework, something that greatly annoyed her. A steel-framed rectangular picture frame engraved with "Makes my world go 'round" held a picture of her, with star sapphire eyes and short waving titanium-silver hair with long bangs framing her face that floated just above her shoulders, between fraternal twins, both with ebony hair and golden-amber eyes. The girl on Chomei's right had her dark bangs covering her forehead, but not her eyes, which sparkled with mirth, and medium-length hair that reached to the top of her spine, the boy on Chomei's left with bangs just brushing his eyes and bearing a complacent smile. Chomei smiled as her eyes fell upon his, and let out a barely audible sigh. To have eyes like those was something really unique, and they were one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen in her life. Heck, _he _was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen in her life, and she could say that with absolute certainty after knowing him for as long as she had.

"Lady Aries is still unfamiliar to her power, and though her intentions may be good, she does not act with caution. Your assistance may be required, Lady Aquarius."

Chomei sighed as she pushed her Trigonometry book to the side, placing the ruled notebook paper on top of the pages that contained her homework. "Is there really another, Axel?" Her slightly higher-pitched voice contained lilting tones of delight, perhaps at feeling a little less out-of-place. A rummaging in her jewelry drawer gave way to a golden-haired male pixie who looked back at her with wide-open and curious sienna eyes. "Is there?" He asked out of rhetoric, eyes wandering in blank space to avoid eye contact and not end up in yet another hour-long debate with Chomei. After a few moments, they seemed to settle on something. "This quickly, too..." He said softly as his eyes filled with concern, translucent wings fluttering as he floated out of the mahogany box. "Chomei, you should go. It would be better if you investigated, and if it really is another Senshi, she'll need help, right?" Chomei nodded with a smile, excited at the prospect of another Senshi. "Yeah, I'll go." From the right side of her desk, she opened the second drawer from the top, where, amidst a bevy of pens and mechanical pencils, lay a small wand not much bigger than Axel himself, the handle palest blue, though the symbol in the middle of the silver five-point star, Aquarius, shone with all the colors of the rainbow. Axel raised a questioning brow. "Why are you keeping it there?" He asked, somewhat confused at the action. Chomei turned to grin at the pixie. "Because I can." Raising the wand above her head, she uttered the words that kept her hanging on to the world outside of her mind, outside of circle of friends:

_**"Aquarius Celestial Power, Make-Up!"**_

Chomei let herself be lost in that pure feeling of the moment, as slick ribbons of cool water cradled her fragile body, weaving through her hair to tie back one layer and affix itself as such in a light azure color. Traveling down from her forehead, the ribbons left a silver tiara with a star sapphire in the center, and a pale blue choker on her neck, attached to a dangling six-point star of silver. A plain white bodysuit was quickly ornamented with a pale blue bow on the front at the bottom of her medium blue collar, as well as a longer version of the same bow on the back of the bodysuit, above her double-layered skirt, medium over pale blue. The ribbons unraveled themselves from her arms and legs last of all, leaving elbow-length white gloveswith three pale blue protectors and a pair of high heels in that exact shade. The ribbons then converged upon themselves to form a silver staff that measured to be just an inch or two above Chomei's height, with a swirling spiral design at the top to encase a gleaming star sapphire. Taking this staff in hand, Chomei backflipped to pose, holding her staff at her side.

"It's finally time, Axel. They've put their plans into action."

Meanwhile, in Tenshi Toy Store, Sailor Aries could very well have been the most confused person on the face of the Earth at the time. While the door had been mysteriously unlocked and the store darkened and chilly inside, nothing seemed to add up to what the radar had been telling her. An Akuma, here? There had to have been some mistake, since this place would be rather laughable for an evil creature of any sort. Looking left and right with apprehension, an innocent, child-like voice called out to her from the inky dark.

"H-help...me...!"

Aries nearly jumped at the sound of a voice, and hastened towards its origin. "Don't move, you're going to be all right." She said gently, to try and soothe whatever child was in this rather creepy-looking establishment. Soon, she came to a corner near a small window, the area lit by the eerie pale luminescence of moonlight. A small girl, definitely older than five and younger than nine, was huddled in the corner, sobbing, her knees to her chest. The moonlight gave her platinum blonde hair a strange silvery sheen, something that Aries was apt to notice as so. Kneeling down on one knee next to the child. "What happened? Are you hurt?" The child sniffled several times, reaching out towards Aries. Without a moment of hesitation, Aries offered the girl her hand. Seconds later, the girl had grabbed onto Aries' wrist and flung her into the side wall.

_"Heh. So you came after all, Aries."_ The girl spoke, standing up, keeping her head bent down so that her long bangs obscured her face and eyes. She wore a frilled dress, and the word "lolita" immediately zoomed into Aries' mind as she slowly picked herself up from the floor and the wonderful Yuuki-shaped indentation in the wall, now feeling a pounding headache. _"My, you're pathetic...one strike and you're down already. Not even a hint of a fighting spirit. So sad..."_ She smirked, her canines revealed to be longer than was normal for humans.

"Aries, stay focused! She just wants you to let down your guard!" Shani called from a few feet away, only to be silenced by a flying porcelain doll, one of eight that gathered around the little Akuma in a circle, all of them radiating a violet aura. _"Now, it's time..."_ The Akuma smirked, sending the dolls at a breakneck speed towards Aries, who was completely unarmed, left with the futile options of dodging or blocking. Dodging came first, but it was not long before the dolls soon came back full-circle to the Akuma. _"Is that it?"_ The demon of a child sounded disinterested and completely apathetic, sending her dolls to swarm Aries. Panicked and surrounded by floating possessed dolls, Aries struck out with her fists, only to be grabbed by the dolls and slammed into another, more structually sound, wall, the dolls staying to secure her arms and legs to the wall as the Akuma sent a series of dark energy blasts into Aries' abdomen, eliciting one scream of pain after another from the Senshi. Aries found herself with hazy vision and a sweat drenching her forehead, and she could make out the shape of the Akuma and the remaining dolls making some sort of strange formation...Shani was saying something, but it was being lost in the sound of her own ears ringing. What could have been so important to say it this late...?

The Akuma's dolls, including the ones holding Aries hostage, were suddenly obliterated by several speeding strikes from a staff, leaving the demon itself extremely confused as to where its dolls had gone and where the attack had come from. Aries brought herself to her feet with a stagger, allowing herself to collect her thoughts and shake off her weariness, her vision clearing to see a girl, similarly dressed in a pseudo-school uniform outfit, carrying a staff, now facing off with the Akuma. _"You..." _The Akuma seethed, irritated at her minions being destroyed so easily. _"Who are you?"_ The other girl gave the Akuma a self-assured, almost dazzling smile, putting her right staff arm down to the side, turning to the Akuma at an angle, her left foot pointed towards the creature. "That isn't the point of importance here so much as is hers." The girl gestured towards Aries, who showed quite a deal of shock before breaking into a short-lived argument with the other girl. "W-what? What's that supposed to mean?"

The girl only smiled and shook her head. "In due time, Aries, in due time. For now, I will take my leave." A thick mist filled the room, giving Shani the opportunity to hasten to Aries' side. "All right, this is it! She's vulnerable now! Call your weapon and destroy her!" This would have been simple enough, Aries knew, if she actually had a weapon. On cue to that thought, two large, spiked chakram appeared in her hands in a flash of light, each with a radius of about a foot each, with handles that would meet at perpendicular angles in the center. Taking a moment to familiarize herself with the feel of the new items, Aries tightened her grip on the handles as the fog began to thin and dissipate, and she was left alone in a dark room with a pixie and an enranged Akuma. _"You were fortunate enough that you had that much help..."_ The Akuma gave a sick, strange giggle of a laugh as she brandished a large serrated knife which gave off a strange gleam in the dim lighting, charging towards Aries. _"But it ends here, fledgling."_

_How desperate._ Aries couldn't help but think it, as she bent her knees in preparation for some sort of offensive motion. A strange sensation, similar to that she had felt from her transformation wand, passed from the weapons in her hands through her nerves and into her mind, and a new phrase began to form on her lips, a phrase to save her life from the rage of a wayward Akuma:

"Inferno Dance!" In an instant, both chakram had ignited themselves with flame as she threw them at the same time with a horizontal motion similar to that of a discus thrower with both her hands, so that her arms crossed in front of her chest. Racing towards the Akuma, both chakram tore through her small body as the demon let out a shrill cry of defeat as she was both sliced apart and set aflame, disintegrating into a strange ash onto the floor of the building, in the shape of a black circular dragon crest. Both chakram flew back towards Aries, who caught them and let her arms fall to her side in a more casual manner. Shani was ecstatic, though Aries wasn't quite sure at what - was it at her victory, or the identity of that other person who had shown up? Stepping through the room and to where the ashy remains of the Akuma lay, she knelt on the floor and brushed away the ash to reveal the dragon crest on the floor. _What is this supposed to mean? _Aries wondered, as the crest sent a jolt through her arm at her touch before disappearing. The chakram disappeared from her hands in a quick but gradual fading effect, leaving Aries to stand as she examined her hand for any damage before signaling to Shani. "I think it's time to go home now."

Shani complied, flitting to her mistress's side, as Aries first strolled out of the store before breaking into a faster sprint in order to reach home before anyone saw her in this ridiculous outfit. _What have I gotten myself into? What's going on? This 'Lady Aries' business..._

"What did you just up and leave for, Lady Aquarius? Lady Aries could have been killed!" Axel scolded the passive Chomei, who had resumed her task of finishing her loathed Trigonometry homework. "Leaving an inexperienced Senshi alone like that! Honestly, I know you're more distant than others, but I didn't think you were _that_ distant!"

"She's alive and well, isn't she? Yuuki, I mean." Chomei replied calmly, gesturing towards the window of her bedroom which faced the Katakeru household. "That was a low-level Akuma. You know as well as I do that if she is, she's experienced enough to begin handling them." She paused for a moment, finishing a problem before setting her book, her homework paper slipped inside it, onto her desk. "And besides that, I told you before to stop calling me Lady Aquarius. I'm Chomei Eichi. Not a queen, not a prophet, not a dead person. I'm a student, a musician, and a Zodiac Senshi. But I'm not your Lady Aquarius, and I would like to be treated that way." A long pause filled the room, as Axel hung his head in silence.

"I'm sorry. It's just..." He sighed before continuing, knowing that what he was about to say would probably rub Chomei the wrong way. "You...remind me so much of her. What you just said...she told me something just like that when she became Queen. I'm sorry for suddenly pushing this onto you, I really am." It was Chomei's turn to pause as she mulled this over.

"Don't take it personally."


	4. Hierophant

_Si...tael..._

_Sitael..._

_Lady Sitael...where are you?_

_The skies above swirled in a black storm, pouring no rain, though lightning strikes were visible in the far-off distance, gradually nearing as each second passed by. The streets beneath Aries' sandal-adorned feet had once been a pure, heavenly white, though now stained varying shades of crimson and maroon with the blood that had been spilled. In the silence following the staggering amount of death present, it had begun to congeal, creating a strong coppery smell which seemed to linger with no intention of ever leaving, befouling the once pristine air along with the nauseating smell of death._

_Through the spectacle of horror that lay before her, a makeshift path had been paved, though littered with broken, tarnished, and bloodied weapons, discarded by their now-deceased owners. Her chakram were not in hand this time, leaving her to feel rather light and strangely naked in a way without them. As the crowd of bodies grew progressively denser and the path began to narrow, she soon came to the steps of a partially standing temple, entirely carved from a white substance that alone seemed to give off a holy glow from its pure color. _

_In the middle of the steps leading to the temple stood two women, both in their early twenties at the least. One, sporting ebony hair cut at her chin that curled ever so slightly inwards towards her face at the ends, featured exotic almond shaped eyes of a rich, deep blue reminiscent of a shade only found at twilight, when the sky wasn't light enough to be the sky, and yet not dark enough to be considered the oncoming night. She bore a uniform much like Aries' own, only it was navy blue in color with light azure accents. In her hand she carried a matching navy staff, perhaps forged of some other holy metal, set at its top with a shimmering opal orb. The other woman was far more familiar to Yuuki, with waving titanium hair, a uniform of sky blue accented with royal blue, and an azure staff of her own..._

_Set with a star sapphire orb._

_Eyes of the same star sapphire turned to Aries' hazel, and, for but a moment, she could feel a vein of anguish, hidden by a captivating dazzle of a strange, all-encompassing knowing. Somewhere, she knew, she had seen those eyes. And after the events of the night prior, she couldn't let the color escape her mind._

_Ascending the steps to approach the two women already there, the woman of darker hair faced her, emanating an aura of pure calm, and yet a trace of a drive towards something, but what could it possibly be...?_

_"Conquered, we are not." The ebony-haired woman spoke, gesturing with an open hand towards what had once been a battlefield._

_"Lady Sitael, we can swear on our honor as Senshi...all will be made right in due time."_

_"Are you ready?"_

"Lady Aries? Lady Aries! Wake up, please!" Shani flitted around Yuuki's face in a panic, her hands pressed over her long, pointed ears. "What is this awful noise, Lady Aries?" She whined loudly, almost trying to defeat the sound of Yuuki's alarm clock in terms of volume. With a groan, Yuuki swung her arm out to the side, and after a few seconds of groping around for the right button in a waking daze, the series of electronic beeps finally ceased, the alarm having now been set to the 'off' position. "Please don't make this fuss tomorrow..." Yuuki grumbled before yawning and stretching, throwing off her bed covers to begin her daily routine before heading off to school. There was still breakfast to be made, and that would definitely put her into a far better mood than when she had just awoken.

"Do you really think so?" Honey eyes lit up at the statement of approval, shoulder-length layered raven hair bouncing as it framed her oval face, graced by a gleaming smile composed of perfectly placed straight teeth and almost childlike dimples.

"If it's good enough for me, it's fine, Mika." Chomei Eichi smiled back, brushing a few straying strands of wavy, slightly curling titanium hair from her face and simply securing a small section of it behind her ear. The aforementioned Mika, more specifically, Mika Seito, let out a squeal of delight, clapping her hands together excitedly. "Thanks! Kyou Sei had a style like this in a photo, and it looked so good, I had to have it."

"Kyou Sei...?" Chomei raised an eyebrow, not recognizing the name. Mika 'tsk'ed playfully, as if expecting Chomei to know just who she was talking about.

"The singer from 'Atrophy', that American band I told you about! You know, with the symphonic stuff!" Mika's eyes widened, now something akin to very much golden dinner plates. Replete with jeweled cutlery, perhaps. In any case, Chomei still had absolutely no idea what on Earth Mika was referring to, but made a mental note to look into the band's music later.

"Oh, right...Kyou Sei's got to be a stage name, right? I mean, "Kyou" being a boy's name and all." Mika nodded, but shrugged. "Do you think they'd know the difference in America?" Chomei shrugged in response, giving herself a shot in the dark guess as part of her attempt at winging her way through the conversation. "If she's going for the androgynous style? I don't think so." Their chatting was soon cut short as the ringing of Mugen Gakuen' bells announced the beginning of classes, ringing in their usual five-tone fashion.

"You're going to be late, Mei-Mei." A voice far lower than either of the girls' drifted from behind them, slightly muffled by the sound of the bells, accompanied by a tall, slender boy with raven hair and amber eyes, a subtle shade darker than Mika's. Mika stopped for a moment, turning to respond. "Good morning, Touya!" She chirped, only to have him give her an odd look. "Silly, I wasn't talking to you. I can say 'good morning' to you whenever I want. I was talking to this Mei-Mei." He gestured to Chomei, who fought down the urge to blush. The nickname of "Mei-Mei" was bestowed upon her in childhood, in the days when the three of them had easy-to-pronounce nicknames for each other. Mika retorted to the comment by childishly sticking out her tongue with a 'nyeeh!' before turning and leaving for her class with a wave.

Perhaps an explanation was in order. Mika and Touya Seito were fraternal twins, children to the CEO of a large technological company. Considered elite by status alone when first admitted to the prestigious Mugen Gakuen as part of the kindergarten program, it wasn't difficult for either of them to find their place in the school. Both Mika and Touya were, at this point, heavily involved in the school's theater program, Touya less so than his sister, instead being more of a study-oriented student, but nonetheless very popular among the student body, and even idolized in some respects.

"So, Kaba-chan, are you going to make me late?" It was Touya's turn to reaction similar to Chomei's earlier one, looking off to the side as if to distract himself from returned nickname. "Anyway, now that that's done and over," Chomei grinned, a complacent smile gracefully descending upon thin, pale lips. "Are you walking me to class, or...?" The silent response, Touya now refraining from words, was for him to begin walking as Chomei quickened her steps to keep pace with him.

"That Akuma was inferior to even her base powers, you know it as well as I do. She could have very well destroyed it then." The woman of sardonyx eye, impertinent as ever, frowned at the news.

"The question, Lord Miersel, was why. Obviously, the girl isn't dead or injured." The man sneered at her response.

"If it's obvious to you, then why do you bother telling me?" Damned woman, he quietly cursed the one comrade he was the most unwilling to work with before elaborating on his explanation. "She found the Crowned One, that one...a fool's luck, coincidence, no doubt." The woman seemed to recoil, placing her hand to her mouth in shock, as the man merely smiled and continued. "Aye, the Empress. With her in their hands, Jovanha, the Trinity must never be allowed to complete." He now turned to face her, honey-amber eyes blazing with a strange fiery quality. "Never. Every warrior which they recover is one step closer to our loss of the advantage. His Majesty will see to your swift execution, should the Trinity even seem near completion. Understood?" The woman fell to one knee, eyes cast downwards in subordination.

"For the pride and honor of the new order do I pledge my eternal loyalty, Lord Cyril de Miersel." The statement was firm, unwavering in resolve and belief in the oath.

"Leave me now, Jovanha. If you allow the Queen to arise, I will see to it that your soul is not spared from eternal torment." The woman silently rose to leave as Cyril turned away, walking the halls of the fortress at a pace of his own choosing. Dearest sister...I cannot allow you to become entangled in these matters. His expression softened, reminiscing of his long-deceased sibling. That I was allowed to live...a miracle, and yet a tragedy all the same.

"The High Priest." The piercing emerald-eyed gaze of the ebony-haired Nina Kooshima bore into Chomei's own sapphire, as if asking her motives of asking the meaning of the tarot card once it had been revealed to the girl, upright, the head of the figure facing Nina when placed on the mock fortune-teller's desk. "Associated with Taurus. Routines, sound advice, as well as an indicator of marriage or other partnerships." The emerald eyes drifted from Chomei to the nearby Touya, and back to Chomei again. Touya, understanding the gesture, blushed a strong red. It took this overt reaction to alert Chomei to the alternate context as she quickly exhibited a similar reaction. Nina simply rolled her eyes before turning the card so that the head of the High Priest now faced Chomei. "Distortion of facts, slander and propaganda. Beware of first impressions. A bad time for signing agreements, and a rejection of family values." With an expression of concern decorating her features, Nina returned her gaze to rest on Chomei once more. "Which direction was this facing?" After taking a moment to recall the image of the state which she had found it in, Chomei found herself rather embarrassed with the only answer she had to give.

"Sideways."

Nina simply handed the card to Chomei, though keeping a light touch so as not to ruin the card itself. "The art on this card is in the same style as the one you brought me last month, Eichi, and it's rather high quality. Where are you getting these from?" Chomei wasn't caught quite as off-guard as she could have possibly been in any other situation, and yet she still found herself at a loss for words. How was she supposed to explain that tarot cards were magically appearing in her locker every month?

"Nina, for all I know, I could have a stalker breaking into my locker just to leave these for me." The explanation in itself was rather vague, but vague enough to at least suggest to Nina that she wasn't just bringing a tarot card a month just to annoy her.

"Be careful, then." Nina advised, before Mika quickly hastened Touya and Chomei away from the desk and the area surrounding it.

"Come on, you two. If we don't eat now, we're going to starve for the rest of the day!" Mika exclaimed, bemoaning the time taken by her brother and best friend to investigate the mysterious tarot card appearances. The two quickly gave in to her demands as they were rushed outside and into the spring air.

"Oy, Katakeru! Where's your pace?" The barking voice of the Physical Education teacher was rather hard to ignore, and even a newly christened Senshi could not help but respond to the call of the real world. "Right!" Yuuki replied firmly, quickening her steps to compensate for lost time and distance, now keeping in step with Minami Kusahara, the one person who had been running ahead of her while the former had been a temporary reverie.

"What's wrong, Yuuki? Losing your touch already?" Minami bantered, chocolate-brown eyes twinkling in the sun as her question was met with Yuuki's response of a wide, energetic grin. "Not a chance." The final 200 meters of track remained before the end of a timed 1600-meter run was to come, and a glance between the two girls decided the premise for the final stretch. Both broke into full sprints, oblivious to all except themselves and the feeling of the rush produced by the adrenaline-filled charge for the finish.

Both sets of legs crossed the finish line, continuing to run for a distance of about 50 meters at gradually slower paces in order to properly finish such a race. The Physical Education teacher seemed to be rather fazed by what he saw as soon as he bothered to check his stopwatch.

"Katakeru, Kusahara! Four minutes, nine seconds." The teacher barked, then proceeding to attend to the rest of the runners for their times. The two girls simply high-fived each other before taking well-deserved breaks on a set of benches, gulping down water out of large bottles, a silence remaining for a few minutes afterwards.

"That's your best time yet, Mina. I haven't seen you run like that before." The acknowledged Minami nodded her head, taking another deep swig of water. "Thanks." She replied in a breath, taking the opportunity to pick up a small towel and wipe her face clear of sweat, then placing said towel around her neck, underneath a layer of short brown-black hair. "I think I'll be able to keep this time tomorrow for the tournament."

"All right, then. Make sure you don't eat as much as you did last time, I'd hate to see you less than your best." Yuuki grinned. As the last of the runners finished their periods of cooling off, the directive to go inside, along with a short period of well-wishing to the athletes, was given. With a deep breath out, Yuuki rose from her seat, taking her towel and water bottle, leaving the bench and traveling towards the girls' locker room to change, with Minami at her side. "After that disaster? No more sweets for me." The girl feigned a strong shudder before breaking into laughter and smiles with Yuuki.

_____Lately...there's been something weird about the assistant coach,_ Minami silently noted, her face becoming blank in thought___. __She's been acting strangely for the last week. Even though she's been pushing me harder before the tournament, she's been...positive. She's not as critical anymore, but that's not like her. _On the approach to her locker, Minami put on a smile.___Maybe she's just not trying to lower morale right before such a big event._ With the thought in mind, she began to gather her belongings and change out of her track practice clothes, taking extra care to make sure that she had everything that she needed to take home.

_____"Now, Akuma! The souls of active youth are energetic, robust, full of life! Partake in as much as you wish, but bring back enough soul energy to satisfy Lord Miersel!"_ Jovanha's voice rang in the mind of the impostor Akuma, posing as a female team member. Very soon after the order was given to the Akuma, a scream echoed throughout the locker room, prompting Minami, almost fully dressed, save for her socks and shoes, to investigate the source of the cry along with several other team members. Upon arriving at the origin of the sound, the sight of a small crowd of fellow team members fainted on the floor and one other held up against a wall of lockers by the neck induced a moment of shock, leaving Minami stunned as a strange translucent wisp left the girl's body, floating into a compact mirror.

"Wh-what...what are you doing? What did you do to her?" Minami stammered, the rudimentary questions being the first things that came to mind at seeing something so very surreal. What was that weird stuff, and why the hell was it floating in midair?

_____"You needn't know that, dear. Just..."_ The girl turned towards her, clutching the compact, prepared to open the mirror.___"...sleep."_ No sooner did the Akuma brush her off did Minami barrel forwards, grappling with the Akuma for possession of the compact. Upon wresting it from the Akuma's grasp, Minami immediately flung the mirror to the ground as though it were on fire, the impact cracking the reflective glass, thus releasing the collective souls.

Having witnessed Minami handle the situation, Yuuki quickly came to realize that the strange girl was more than likely similar to the monster she had encountered just weeks prior to this attack.___That's definitely an Akuma...and if that's the case, Mina's in danger! _After some fumbling, Yuuki found her crimson and silver transformation pen in her uniform pocket, now fully prepared to transform.

_____"Wretched girl! You will pay dearly for your insolence!" _The voice which rang out was no longer human, but twisted, almost that of an animal's in nature. The form of the student disappeared, revealing a strange sort of figure, far taller than the student she was impersonating, with nearly disturbingly gray skin and an emaciated frame.___"Die!"_

**"Aries Celestial Power, Make-Up!"**

Within a burst of flame, a fully armed Sailor Aries confronted the Akuma, chakram in hand.___"You...! What business do you have in the realm of Akuma?"_ The Akuma's weak ideological defense was quickly shattered by Aries, who raised her arm towards the Akuma, pointing with her chakram as though it were an extension of her arm.___Think of something and think of it __fast__. What will they buy...?_

"What business do you have in the realm of peace? Attacking a sports team at a time like this, to make their hard work all for naught? Whatever gave you the right to interfere?" The Akuma recoiled, silently cursing the appearance of a Sailor Senshi.___"Do you not know your place, accursed girl?"_ Aries shook her head with a defiant smile. As she had with her first transformation, she felt words again coming to her lips, naturally vocalized without so much as a thought.

"Never defeated, the Soldier of Hope, Sailor Aries! I would happily challenge your claim, as it seems you don't know yours." The grip on her chakram tightened, bringing the twin weapons to her sides, bending her knees, muscles tensed in an instinctual manner, prepared for battle.

_____"Petulant child…"_ The Akuma now hissed, revealing claws instead of nails.___"Know the price of interfering with the new world order!"_ She charged forwards, only to be met by a hard tackle by Minami. _____"You too? But you're a mere human…"_ The movement was quickly reversed on Minami, now pinned against the locker row as the last victim had been before the athlete had interfered. Seeing her friend attack spurred Aries to action as she crossed her twin chakram across her body.

"Inferno-"As the flames were summoned to her weapons, the Akuma suddenly drew Minami close to her body, holding her in a headlock with her left arm while extending her index fingernail to rest at the girl's throat. _____"Make a move, Senshi, and she dies."_ Seeing this, Aries loosened her posture, the flames receding from her weapons. _____I…I can't do anything! I can't let Minami be killed, but I can't just let this Akuma go free!_ The Akuma took full advantage of Aries' inner turmoil to release a wave of energy, knocking the Senshi back into a locker room bench. _____"How useless. In the end, you were simply all talk…"_ The Akuma took aim yet again for Sailor Aries. _____"Farewell."_

It was here that Minami realized, through the adrenaline rush of the battle, that the soldier so gallantly defending her was none other than her own best friend, Yuuki Katakeru. The one signal that gave her away was the way she had hesitated. Instead of dealing with the assailant directly, Minami had seen it: She had looked her in the eye. She had looked her directly in the eye, and it was the instant that allowed Minami to see beyond the fighting words and weapons. _Yuuki…I can't just watch you be hurt anymore!_ Feeling tears well up in her eyes, Minami pushed them tightly closed to restrain them from falling.

A flash of near-blinding light suddenly filled the entire room as time seemed to stop around Minami. As she reopened her eyes to plain-white surroundings, a transformation wand, colored a lush deep green that many forests would recognize as their own and accented with silver, floated before her. The sign of Taurus, engraved in the middle of a five-point star, glowed and seemed to beckon to her. Minami cautiously took hold of this wand, and in doing so, it seemed to fill her with a comforting sort of warmth, and a feeling of ease in saying those words that would undoubtedly change her forevermore:

"**Taurus Celestial Power, Make-Up!"**

-End Chapter 3-

A/N & Other Notes:

A/N: Holy cow, it's been a while, hasn't it? School and life came around to beat me up, and it really hasn't been all too pleasant dealing with it. But this chapter is proof that I am most definitely alive and still working on the Aces High project. I hope to have the next chapter up as soon as I can. :)

Also, I have no idea why that one paragraph is in all italics. The silly document editor did it and won't let me edit it so that it isn't italicized. It's pretty weird. o - O;;

Other Notes:

"Kaba", which means "hippopotamus", is also the reversal of the syllables of "baka", which means "stupid". (Were you expecting 5-year-olds to come up with better names?)


End file.
